• Email Link
• Facebook
• Twitter
• Digg

By Nicole Seiferth

Hundreds of first responders, recovery workers, and volunteers who worked to provide respite to those working at Ground Zero in the months following 9/11 returned to St. Paul's Chapel on Saturday, September 10, 2011 for an afternoon full of memories and reunions.

A Service of Remembrance, which will also be held on Sunday, September 11, 2011, offered memories from those who were part of the volunteer community at St. Paul's Chapel in the days and months following 9/11. The first short sermon was delivered by the Rev. Dr. James H. Cooper, Rector, who came to St. Paul's Chapel as a volunteer from his parish in Florida.

"The aberration of humanity is the planes flying into the buildings," Dr. Cooper said. "What is not the aberration is the human spirit to come together and love and volunteer, to work for good, to work for reconciliation, to work for peace. That's who you are."

The Rector's sermon was followed by three more from St. Paul's volunteers, including Tom Geraghty, who lost his sister-in-law on 9/11. Following her death, he said, "I felt myself filled with hatred and anger and revenge. And then I came to St. Paul's and those feelings disappeared."

The barbecue, held in the churchyard after the service, had a family reunion atmosphere. Hugs, tears, and stories were exchanged over food and drink provided, free of charge, by the Foodhall at The Plaza Hotel.

Kristin Franzese, of The Plaza Hotel, said that the hotel donated meals for recovery workers at Ground Zero on a regular basis for months following 9/11. Her staff and colleagues, she said, were eager to volunteer to help with the barbecue -- from the Chief Accounting Officer to the catering staff.

"We liked the idea of doing something for those who did something for us," she said. "We feel really privileged -- we're just so honored to be included."

Music drifted through the churchyard as the volunteers and first responders ate together, took group photos, and tied Ribbons of Remembrance on the fences and, occasionally, on each other.

"It's very emotional," said Barbara, an American Red Cross volunteer from Strawberry, AZ, who volunteered in New York in October and November 2001. She and five other Red Cross volunteers from across the country had traveled to be in the city for the anniversary of 9/11.

"It will always remain in our lives," she said.

The barbecue ended as the sun started going down in Lower Manhattan and the All Night Vigil began inside the Chapel. 

"Being here was wonderful," Pegg Ponzio said. Ponzio brought with her more than 200 candy bars wrapped in thank you notes made by sixth graders for her fellow volunteers and the first responders.

"It was wonderful just listening. Everybody has a story. It's unbelievable how clear their memories are. It really warmed my heart to be here."

Nicole Seiferth is assistant editor of website and parish publications

Comments

Share Your Comments Below:

Your Name:

Comment:

Type the characters as seen:

Trinity Wall Street welcomes discussion in good faith, but does reserve the right to remove user-submitted content from this website, including material that is offensive, malicious, inappropriate, unattributed or misleadingly attributed.